Champions League: previews for the big matches this week | Football

Sevilla v Liverpool, Tuesday 7.45pm GMT

It gained be a straightforward process, however, Liverpool knows victory in Seville would assure them a spot within the knockout phases (a draw would suffice if Maribor beat Spartak Moscow within the different sport). Sevilla are only one level behind Liverpool within the group and are unbeaten at the house in all competitions this season. They have gained their final seven matches on the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, together with a 2-1 victory in opposition to Celta Vigo on Saturday night.

Sevilla’s house type is robust however new supervisor Eduardo Berizzo has struggled to get the most effective from a proficient bunch of gamers. They are exterior the Champions League locations in La Liga, having misplaced 4 of their first 12 matches this season. They additionally suffered an embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Spartak Moscow earlier within the group.

Joaquin Correa was their shining gentle of their 2-2 draw at Anfield earlier within the group, however, Liverpool has been profligate that evening; they mustered 24 photographs to Sevilla’s seven and will have taken all three factors.

Liverpool is having fun with an honest run of type on the minute – they’ve gained their final 4 video games – and that’s largely right down to the type of Mohamed Salah. He has had a direct hand in 10 targets (eight targets and two assists) in his final six Liverpool appearances and he’s now out on his person because of the prime scorer within the Premier League. It is simply as properly on condition that Roberto Firmino has solely scored three targets in the 13 video games he has performed since these sides met at Anfield in September.

Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham Hotspur, Tuesday 7.45pm GMT

This is a superb alternative for Spurs to maneuver previous their disappointing efficiency within the North London derby and safe prime spot in Group G. Winning the group could be an unimaginable achievement on condition that they have been drawn in opposition to reigning champions Real Madrid and up to date finalists Borussia Dortmund. Although, in reality, this Dortmund facet has gone off the rails this season. With simply two factors from 4 video games, they’re in actual hazard of ending backside of the group and dropping out of Europe altogether.

Peter Bosz was solely appointed in the summertime however he’s already clinging on to his job for expensive life. Dortmund hasn’t gained within the Bundesliga since September and have earned only one level from their final obtainable 15 – their worst run since they misplaced 5 in a row below Jürgen Klopp again in 2014. Their defeat to Stuttgart on Friday was their third in a row and it leaves them fifth within the league, 9 factors behind Bayern Munich, who’ve already gone by way of a change of managers this season.

Harry Kane has been talking this week about how he needs to spend his “entire career” at Tottenham. That shall be music to Mauricio Pochettino’s ears however the supervisor might need to relaxation him for his sport after he appeared off the tempo in opposition to Arsenal on the weekend. Pochettino might rotate a couple of-of his squad in Germany within the data win of their last group sport at the house to Apoel could be sufficient to ensure prime spot within the group anyway.

Atlético Madrid v Roma, Wednesday 7.45pm GMT

Their goalless draw in opposition to Real Madrid on Saturday was not a terrible consequence on paper, however, Atlético Madrid – and their metropolis rivals – are actually 10 factors adrift of Barcelona in La Liga. They are additionally in actual hazard of dropping out of the Champions League.

Atlético has misplaced simply as soon as in all competitions this season – when Michy Batshuayi scored a 94th-minute winner for Chelsea on the Wanda Metropolitano – however, they haven’t scored greater than a single objective in any of their 10 video games since that defeat to Chelsea again in September. Diego Simeone’s facet can’t discover the web. They have drawn 10 of their 17 matches this season, scoring simply 19 targets within the course of. If that form of type continues they are going to be knocked out of the Champions League on the group stage for the primary time since 2009 when Chelsea topped their group.

Roma leapfrogged Chelsea on the prime of this group after they beat Antonio Conte’s crew Three-Zero final month. They could have picked up much more confidence from their deserved 2-1 win over Lazio within the Derby Della Capitale on Saturday. Life below Eusebio Di Francesco has begun very properly they usually have now gained six on the bounce.

With Edin Dzeko having scored as many targets within the Champions League as Antoine Griezmann has managed throughout all competitions this season (three), Roma goes into this sport figuring out they will dump one of many superpowers of European soccer out of the competitors and e-book their place within the subsequent spherical within the course of.

Juventus v Barcelona, Wednesday 7.45pm GMT

Both sides shall be assured of progressing to the last-16 stage whatever the consequence, however, that is nonetheless probably the most glamorous match of the week. Barcelona has been snug Three-Zero winners after they met in September they usually go into this fixtures in higher spirits than Juventus, who have been overwhelmed Three-2 by Sampdoria on the weekend regardless of scoring targets within the 91st and 94th minute. Gianluigi Buffon, Alex Sandro, and Paulo Dybala sat out that defeat partly due to weariness after the worldwide break and partly as a result of they have been waiting for this sport in opposition to Barcelona.

Barça, now taking part in a Four-Four-2 formation with Paco Alcácer and Andrés Iniesta on the flanks, picked a full power facet on Saturday and recorded a routine Three-Zero win over Leganés. With a 10-point lead in La Liga, the skepticism surrounding Ernesto Valverde’s appointment and their switch failings in the summertime have been all however forgotten.

All eyes shall be on the head-to-head between the 2 Argentinian No10s. Dybala scored a brace in Turin when these sides met in the quarter-finals final season, however, Lionel Messi did the identity of their assembly earlier this season. Whichever of them performs greatest on the Juventus Stadium is prone to be the match winner on Wednesday.